Training creative and productive academicians is a critical mission of gastroenterology programs. Emerging discoveries in related fields ranging from human genetics to molecular and cellular biology, microbiology and epidemiology have had major impacts on the understanding of pathophysiology of gastrointestinal diseases. The understudied potential of the microbiome is a major new area of investigation. The UCSF Division of Gastroenterology has been a leader in gastrointestinal research for over 45 years. In addition, allied Divisions and Departments at UCSF augment the training program by providing complementary and synergistic training experiences. During the past funding cycle, we have significantly enhanced our training faculty and revamped our selection and training procedures to optimize the success of our trainees. The enhanced pool of applicants and trainees in our program, greater success of trainees in the program, and markedly improved outcomes of our trainees attests to the success of our efforts. In this application, we propose to continue our training of innovative and creative academic investigators in gastroenterology.